Drag reducing device



July 29, 1941. e. c. CANNON DRAG REDUCING DEVICE Filed.July 9, 1940 Inventor (71V 14iiofney Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v DRAG nnnuomcmavrcn f George C. Cannon, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application July 9, 1940, Serial No. 344,579

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a drag reducing device, and has for the primary object the provision. of means for materially reducing the drag on a boat from an exterior object or appendage thereon located in the water, so that the boat may travel at greater rates of speed than heretofore by the same amount of motive power, the invention comprising an element arranged on the boat and of a much smaller external diameter than the appendage to form in the water a pocket for the appendage to travel in so that said appendage will ofier practically no drag on the boat, the drag on the boat from said element being much less than the drag which would be placed on the boat by the appendage moving through a solid mass of water.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which-'- Figure l is a diagrammatical view showing the principle of operation of the present invention in water.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a part of a boat and its propelling means with the present invention adapted to the boat for eliminating drag on the boat caused by the propulsion means.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the boat propelling means and the present invention and showing by arrows the pocket formed in the water by the present invention to accommodate the propelling means.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates an appendage on a boat which for simple illustration may be a propulsion device commonly known as an outboard motor.

It is a well known fact that the submerged portion of the propulsion means, as shown in Figure 2, when traveling through a body of water will place a considerable drag on the boat indicated by the character 6. This drag will materially reduce the speed of the boat. It is proposed to eliminate this drag on the boat 6 through the use of an element 1 depending from the boat directly in advance of the propulsion means which travels in the water so as to create in the water a pocket 8. The width and length of this pocket during the forward travel of the boat will be such as to accommodate the housing of the propulsion means so that the latter will offer no drag on the boat. The element 1 can be arranged at a selected distance in advance of the housing of the propulsion device 5 so that the water displaced in forming the pocket 8 will converge or come together directly in rear of the housing of the propulsion means so that the propeller, indicated by the character 9, may obtain a more eificient bite in the water. In other words, practically the full length of the propeller blades may obtain traction in the water, consequently permitting the boat to obtain greater speed by increased traction of its propulsion means and also by eliminating drag heretofore created by the housing of the propulsion means.

It is to be understood that the diameter of the element F is much less than the diameter of the housing of the propulsion means 5 so that the drag created by the element 1 will be much less than the drag which would 'be created by the housing of the propulsion means 5 if the housing were traveling through a solid mass of water.

By referring to Figure 1 it will be seen tha the pocket developed by the element I takeson the shape of a tear drop and as the speed of the boat increases the width of this pocket will increase consequently giving full room for the accommodation of the housing of the propulsion means.

The element 1 may have a portion thereof, as

indicated by the character ll], of a slight increased diameter to correspond with portions of the housing 5 which may have a greater increased diameter than other portions of said housing.

The present invention is shown as applicable to a boat where it is desired to eliminate drag on the boat. It is to be understood that the principle of this invention can be successfully carried out on an aeroplane or similar device.

Through the use of the present invention on a boat as shown and heretofore described, it will be possible to obtain greater ratesof speed with the boat employing the same amount of horse power heretofore employed in obtaining slower rates of speed by the boat.

Further, it is to be seen that while this invention is simple, practical and durable it only possible to obtain with the use of the same 7 amount of horse power for its propulsion.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be 1 of the boat for the accommodation of the housing to eliminate its drag on the boat and to permit the water to mass at the propeller.

2. In combination with a boat having a propulsion means extending into the water with a portion thereof in the form of a supporting housing and including a propeller, an element having an external diameter much less than the external diameter of the housing and located on said boat in advance of said propulsion means to form a pocket in the water during the forward travel of the boat for the accommodation of the housing to eliminate its drag on the boat and permit the water to mass at the propeller.

GEORGE C. CANNON. 

